Apply for Executive Director, Highland Center for the Arts

Executive Director
Highland Center for the Arts
Greensboro, Vermont

Overview
The Highland Center for the Arts (HCA) seeks a dynamic, creative individual with an outstanding track record in performing arts management to lead a new community-oriented performing arts center located in Greensboro, VT. The position offers the opportunity to guide HCA through its opening season and beyond. At the outset, the Executive Director will shepherd HCA through its opening and first season while developing an effective operating model and staffing plan to support HCA’s mission of service to its unique community of summer and year-round residents. In the long run, the scope of responsibilities for this position includes artistic and program planning, building partnerships and relationships with the community’s arts, cultural, business, civic and educational organizations, audience development, strategic planning, fundraising and donor relations, marketing/advertising, personnel and volunteer recruitment and management of all operational, financial and administrative functions at HCA.

Purpose and Mission
HCA is a place for people to gather and participate in the arts. Its mission is to develop and operate a welcoming venue for assembly, artistic expression, entertainment, education and refreshment. HCA’s campus is designed to provide exceptional opportunities to create, exhibit, view, experience, perform, learn about and talk about art through performances, programs, workshops, festivals, classes and multi-disciplinary events.

The Community
The beautiful village of Greensboro and the surrounding Northeast Kingdom are home to many prospering performing arts organizations and commercial enterprises, including Circus Smirkus, Craftsbury Chamber Players, Jasper Hill Farm, Hill Farmstead Brewery, Pete’s Greens, and many others. Fueled by their founders’ desire to serve their communities, find meaningful work and to do it extraordinarily well in a beloved place, these organizations have achieved a level of excellence, success and influence normally associated with much larger population centers. HCA was conceived to realize this same tradition of excellence through the development of a center for the arts in a rural setting, serving both local and summer populations and to support the work of artists in a way that gives back to and engages the community.

Description of the Project and Timing
HCA’s campus and buildings, are scheduled to be competed in the late spring of 2017 and will feature a state-of-the-art 275-seat main stage theater, a 100-seat performance/education space, a café, an art gallery and ancillary facilities and technical systems to support a range of artistic and educational programs. HCA will both produce and present a year-round schedule of performances, visual art displays and arts education programs to reflect a balanced representation of community-based arts groups, the center’s own programming (through part- time or full-time resident companies) and regionally and nationally sourced programs.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Executive Director will work with the board to establish the strategic direction of HCA and implement programs and initiatives in fulfillment of HCA’s mission. He or she is responsible for artistic planning and programming, budgeting, strategic planning, general administration, fundraising, community outreach, and for assembling, leading and overseeing a staff for HCA’s inaugural and subsequent operations.

The Executive Director will plan and manage the start-up of HCA and all aspects of a well-thought-out, phased development including building the team and putting in place systems to ensure HCA’s success. The Executive Director’s duties will include but are not limited to:

• Artistic and Educational Programming – Identify opportunities, plan, implement and contract for HCA’s artistic and educational programming in the visual and performing arts (dance, music, theatre, circus arts, cinema, family programs, workshops, residencies, lectures, art exhibits and other mixed genre forms) to achieve a balanced, year-round schedule of locally and nationally- sourced performances, collaborations and events suited to serving the community and the artists living in the community. Establish partnerships with local schools and school districts to enhance arts education and support students’ and their families’ participation in the arts. Identify and implement special projects that take advantage of HCA’s superb facilities while contributing to the advancement of the performing arts and the community’s participation in the arts. Examples of special projects are festivals, fellowships, residencies, conferences and incubator activities in partnership with regional and national partners.
• Governance – Engage, guide and support the board to set strategic directions for HCA and to govern effectively.
• Marketing and Communications - Plan and oversee how HCA communicates its work and mission to the public to attract participation and support including branding, graphic design, and content for print materials, signage, social media and for HCA’s website.
• Patron Services – Plan and oversee HCA’s program for patron services, front of house management and ticket sales.
• Community Outreach and Engagement - Engage Greensboro and the surrounding communities to foster HCA’s goal of being a place for the the community to gather for experiencing and participating in the arts.
• Facilities Management – Oversee the management of HCA’s campus - its buildings, grounds, mechanical systems and production equipment. Put in place staff and/or contracted services to operate and maintain the campus, facilities and equipment.
• Finance and Control – Develop and manage the organization’s annual budget. Put in place systems to manage HCA’s finances including systems for budgeting, accounting, payroll, receivables and disbursements, 501-C-3 and other regulatory compliance reporting, board reporting, banking, etc.
• Information Technology – Put in place and manage systems for IT/computers/telecommunications to support HCA’s information and data management needs.
• Production and technical support - Oversee staff to provide technical, lighting, sound, and stage management support for productions.
• Fundraising and Development - Plan and implement a comprehensive fundraising program targeting individuals, corporations, foundations and government sources.
• Personnel/Human Resource Management – Attract, support and cultivate a talented and diverse team to run the center.
• Volunteer Recruitment – Attract, support and cultivate volunteers to undertake support activities at HCA events.
• Security – Implement and oversee security systems and practices for the campus.
• Policies and Procedures, Manuals of Operations and Routine Contracts – Establish, set rates for, implement and update manuals and contracts to support all aspects of HCA’s operations.

Qualifications

• Education – Bachelors degree and/or advanced degree in a specialty area of visual or performing arts or arts management
• Experience and Qualifications – The successful candidate will have 5 to 10 years of experience as a visual or performing artist including experience in a senior management position with a visual or performing arts organization. Significant experience creating, developing and implementing artistic work including the production of collaborative performances drawing on diverse artistic offerings and entities. Successful experience in the business of performing arts presenting and producing, including contract negotiations, performance marketing, labor relations and a working knowledge of technical requirements. Experience in all aspects of venue management. Demonstrated experience in community outreach and engagement and in developing arts education programs. Outstanding writing, verbal and communication skills. Excellent organizational skills. The capacity to work independently and as a self-starter as well as a team player. The ability to think creatively to develop and sell innovative and entrepreneurial ideas. Willingness and commitment to embrace and become part of the unique rural setting of Greensboro, Vermont.